The Foundation is a non-profit association of companies dedicated to advancing and endorsing Linux systems and standards, with the platinum membership acquired by Samsung earlier this week representing the organisation's highest level of support.

Jim Zemlin, executive director of the LF, said that the firm's enhanced involvement with the group was a "strategic business decision that will result in advancing Samsung Electronics' success and accelerating Linux development work", adding that it makes sense given rival Apple's propensity for open source.

With its new position, Samsung should now enjoy a degree of influence in determining the future of Linux - it has reputedly contributed over £300,000 in support of the open source operating system and related projects as part of its membership bid.

The announcement of Samsung's engagement with the group hardly comes as a surprise: a number of its products, particularly Android phones like the new Galaxy S3 - as well as televisions and cameras - employ Linux-based software. It has also partnered with Intel on the Linux-based Tizen OS.